It is known to install an airbag positioned in an interior of a vehicle with intent to provide improved protection for properly seated and restrained vehicle occupants in a crash or impact event (e.g. to substantially reduce the possibility of passenger contact with an interior surface during a high g-force even, e.g. rapid acceleration/deceleration associated with a vehicle impact). For example, an airbag may be installed (e.g. positioned) behind a portion of the instrument panel adjacent to a front passenger; an airbag or set of airbags can be installed (e.g. positioned) in other places in the vehicle interior (according to known arrangements). During a crash or impact event (e.g. high g-force event) the airbag deploys (e.g. through a chute and/or door or passage, etc.) reducing the possibility of contact between the front passenger and the instrument panel.
A typical trim component such as an instrument panel may include an airbag chute assembly positioned behind a visible surface (e.g. show surface) and configured to house an airbag module. In certain instrument panel configurations the airbag chute assembly is vibration welded or otherwise coupled to the surrounding instrument panel support structure. It may be that in manufacture of an instrument panel the process of coupling (e.g. via vibration welding) the airbag chute assembly to the instrument panel support structure is time consuming and labor intensive (e.g. tending to increase the cost and duration of the manufacturing process).
Certain instrument panels include an integral airbag door configured to facilitate deployment of the airbag through the instrument panel. Such airbag doors generally may include a ridge or weakened seam that enables portions of the door to separate from one another during airbag deployment. The ridge is typically formed by machining a groove into a rear surface of the instrument panel. The process of machining the groove may be time consuming and labor intensive (e.g. tending to increase the cost and duration of the manufacturing process).
It would be advantageous to provide for an improved vehicle interior component (e.g. such as a trim component, instrument panel, etc.) that provides for an interface with an airbag (e.g. to deploy through the component in the event of a crash or impact event) comprising an improved arrangement for assembly/manufacture of the compartment (e.g. cost-efficiency, etc.) and/or for deployment of the airbag through the compartment (e.g. in operation/use in an event).